Fluoroquinolones
are among the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics in
the United States.

Among the
most well known is Cipro (made by Bayer), which became a household
name during the anthrax scare that occurred shortly after 9/11.
Levaquin is a close second.

All antibiotics
carry a risk of side effects, but the fluoroquinolones are in
a class by themselves when it comes to their potential to cause
serious, permanent injuries and even death.

Given their
potential to harm, they should be reserved for treating only the
most serious bacterial infections that won’t respond to any other
treatment; instead, they’re often offered for mild conditions
like sinus, urinary tract and ear infections.

Fluoroquinolones:
The Deadliest Antibiotics on the Market?

If your doctor
hands you a prescription for a fluoroquinolone antibiotic (this
could be not only Cipro or Levaquin but also Avelox or generics
ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin, or others), be
very certain that your condition warrants the risks that come
along with taking these drugs.

Fluoroquinolones
have fluoride as a central part of the drug. Fluoride is a known
neurotoxin, and drugs with an attached fluoride can penetrate
into very sensitive tissues. 

The fluoroquinolones
have the unique ability to penetrate your blood-brain barrier,
entering your brain and damaging your central nervous system.
Many of these drugs have already been removed from the market
due to their toxicity, and those that remain are riddled with
black box warnings required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA).

In 2008,
the FDA required seven fluoroquinolone antibiotics to add a black-box
warning because they pose a risk of tendinitis and increase the
risk of a tendon rupture by three to four times. 

But this
is far from the only risk. Levaquin, for instance, which was the
best-selling antibiotic in 2010, faces thousands of lawsuits a
year from people who have been seriously harmed after taking it.
¹
The reactions can be body-wide, impacting your central nervous
system, musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, sometimes simultaneously.
Among the serious reactions reported are:

Retinal
detachment, which can cause blindness
Hallucinations

Nausea
and diarrhea
Acute
kidney failure
Psychotic
reactions
Hearing
problems
Brain
fog
Painful
rashes
Disruptions
to blood sugar metabolism
Depression

Phototoxicity

Peripheral
neuropathy

In a 2001
study by Dr. Jay Cohen, the following reaction rates were documented:
²

• Nervous
  system symptoms occurred in 91 percent of patients (pain, tingling
  and numbness, dizziness, malaise, weakness, headaches, anxiety
  and panic, loss of memory, psychosis)
• Musculoskeletal
  symptoms in 73 percent of patients (tendon ruptures, tendonitis,
  weakness, joint swelling)
• Sensory
  symptoms in 42 percent of patients (tinnitus, altered visual,
  olfactory, and auditory function)
• Cardiovascular
  symptoms in 36 percent of patients (tachycardia, shortness of
  breath, chest pain, palpitations)
• Skin reactions
  in 29 percent of patients (rashes, hair loss, sweating, intolerance
  to heat or cold)
• Gastrointestinal
  symptoms in 18 percent of patients (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
  abdominal pain)

In a letter
to his Congressman, he wrote:

“These
severe reactions are occurring in patients who are usually healthy,
active, and young. Most often, the antibiotics are prescribed
for mild infections such as sinusitis, urinary or prostate infections.
Most reactions occur very quickly, sometimes with just a few doses
of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Reactions are acute, severe,
frightening, and often disabling.

Since
the publication of my article with its 45 cases two and a half
years ago, I have received e-mails from more than 100 people seeking
help for their reactions. In most cases, their doctors have dismissed
their complaints or outright denied that the reactions could occur
with fluoroquinolones. Yet extensive medical workups do not find
any other cause. Worse, there are no known effective treatments.
Thus, these people suffer pain and disability for weeks, months,
and years.”

Increased
Antibiotic-Resistant Infection Rates Also Linked to Fluoroquinolones

Overuse of
these potent antibiotics has been linked to antibiotic resistant
infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and the potentially
life-threatening diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile (C.
diff). According to some research, being given fluoroquinolones
is the most important risk factor in developing Clostridium
difficile–associated-diarrhea (CDAD). ³

Again, a
large part of the problem is that these drugs, which are meant
to be reserved for life-threatening infections that cannot otherwise
be treated, are being vastly overused. In a study in BMC Infectious
Diseases, it was found that nearly 40 percent of fluoroquinolone
treatments at one medical center were unnecessary, while other
research found 81 percent of fluoroquinolone prescriptions in
two academic emergency departments were inappropriate based on
institutional guidelines.⁴
As reported by The New York Times: ⁵

“In an
interview, Mahyar Etminan, a pharmacological epidemiologist at
the University of British Columbia, said the drugs were overused
“by lazy doctors who are trying to kill a fly with an automatic
weapon.”

The drugs
are thought to be particularly dangerous for children under age
18, adults over 60, and pregnant and nursing women, as well as
people with liver disease or those taking corticosteroids or nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). But, they are often prescribed
for these groups, anyway.

Writing in
Forbes, contributor Melanie Haiken recalled taking her
teenage daughter to the doctor and being handed a prescription
for Cipro for her, even though she was under 18 and seeking treatment
for an ear infection… ⁶
This prompted Haiken to dig deeper before giving her daughter
the drug, but many others are completely unaware that the antibiotic
they’ve just been prescribed has been linked to such deadly side
effects. They assume it’s like any other antibiotic…

Avoid Cipro
and Other Fluoride Antibiotics or Run the Risk of SEROIUS Side
Effects

If your doctor
prescribes you one of these dangerous antibiotics ask him or her
to use another one. It is uncommon that this would be the only
one that could be used. These dangerous antibiotics should be
used as a last resort only. If you do wind up using them then
read the package insert and all the warnings VERY carefully and
stop them the moment you notice a side effect.

In today’s
expansive age of online networking, there exists a large community
of people who’ve experienced fluoroquinolone injuries. They often
refer to themselves as the “Floxies,” and their numbers continue
to grow as the prescriptions flow.

Quite a few
of these Floxies are in the medical field themselves (or were,
before they were poisoned), and are on a mission to help fellow
fluoroquinolone victims. You, too, can help to get the word out
by sharing this information with your friends and family, and
advising them to consider alternatives before taking these drugs
– especially if they’re prescribed for a minor condition.

You wouldn’t
knowingly risk permanent blindness, personality changes or psychotic
reactions to treat your ear infection, especially if there were
a safer alternative… and there nearly always is. David A. Flockhart,
professor of medicine and chief of clinical pharmacology at Indiana
University School of Medicine, reports as many as one-third
of patients taking a fluoroquinolone will experience some sort
of negative psychiatric effect, such as anxiety, personality changes,
or confusion. He has treated more than 100 patients with such
psychiatric
side effects, stating:

“The
psychiatric effects of the fluoroquinolones are underappreciated
by the medical profession as well as by the public. The bigger
the gun you use, the more damage you can expect as collateral.”

Cipro, Levaquin
and the related drugs in the class are very “big guns” that should
only be used in very special circumstances. Please be absolutely
sure yours is one of them before consenting to use these drugs.